Fuel vaporizer



l. W. WEPPLO Dec. 14, 1948.

FUEL VAPORIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed' Dec. 1, 1945 l. W. WEPPLO Dec. 14, 1948.

FUEL VAPORIZER 2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1945 Patented Dec. 14, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT orrxcs 2 Claims. (Cl. 48-180) This invention relates to liquid fuel vaporizers particularly adapted for use in internal combustion engines.

The vaporizer is adapted to be located between the conventional liquid fuel carburetor `and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, and its general object is to provide means for more eiiiciently breaking down the liquid fuel and mixing it with air in order to produce a more eiicient gaseous mixture.

In my prior Patents No. 2,010,973, issued August 13, 1935, entitled Gasoline vaporizer, No. 2,318,824, issued May 3, 1943, entitled Fuel vaporizer and No. 2,373,867. issued April 17, i945, entitled Liquid fuel vaporizer, I have disclosed devices which are adapted for the same general purposes as the present invention. In these prior patents I have shown screens for breaking up the finely divided droplets of liquid fuel in combination with auxiliary air inlet means, the latter being controlled by the amount of negative' pressure in the intake manifold.

Although the screens used in combination with.

the auxiliary pressurev controlled 4intake proved effective and increased the emciency of internal combustion engines with a given amount of fuel I have subsequently found that even greater ein-- ciency can be obtained if the screens are eliminated and other means is provided for producing a finely divided liquidvmixed with a controlled amount of auxiliary air. Through experimentation I have determined that where screens are used there is a tendency for the screens to he come more or less clogged with liquid fuel when the `engine is idling 'or operating at low speeds. One of the objects of the invention is to provide a `iuel vaporizer wherein noV screens are used but wherein the fuel mixture is attained with a greater degree of emciencv aiter auch mixture has left the conventional carburetor; and before itis introduced -into the engine cylinders.

lAnother object of the invention is to provide v ,ai fuel intake pressure and iiow inuenced valve which may or may not be 4used in conjunction with an auxiliary air intake but which operates independently -of the conventional carburetor butterfly valve and acts in direct response to the negative fuel-intake pressure. This valve is so arranged that la smaller intake how opening is provided while `the engine is idling or running at low speeds and a progressively larger intake now is permitted as the engine speed or its ioad is increased. still a further object of the invention is to provide a fuel vaporizer having a valve as described above in combination with a valve control. the

latter being subject to the engine intake preslic sure and working against the tendency of the valve to open under intake pressure flow in order to properly control the opening and closing of said valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pressure'- and iiow responsive unit in combination with baie means which produces a cycionic action to break down the tiny dropletsof fuel to evensmaller size and thoroughly mix them with air so that a highly eiiicient ilringmixture is obtained.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a. vaporizer of the type described above in combination with an auxiliary air inlet which is so arranged relative to the pressure control valve and baille means that the cyclonic mixing action is enhanced.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein ylike reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views,v and, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion oi-an internal combustion engine with my invention incorporated therewith; e

Figure 2 is a plan view of on an enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectionai view through the vaporizer shown in Figure 3:

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional viese therethrough; l

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken apprommatw onthe line fri-5 of .Figure 2; and e Figure 6 is a plan view of a portion of the auxiliary air inlet valve.

. In Figure i there is shownl the upper portion of aninternaleombustion engine i@ upon which is mounted an intake manifold ii which has een@ nected therewith a carburetor it and upon which is mounted an air cleaner it. An exhaust mani iold it is also shown but it bearsno relation to the present invention. l

The lower portion of the carburetor itin cludes a pipe it having a conventional butterhy valve it therein. The lower end of the pipe i5 is provided with a flange il. The central portion of the intake manifold iiinciudes a short pipe section i8 having a flange it similar to the ange il on the carburetor outlet pipe iii.V in conventional engine constructions the manges il! and i9 are bolted together.. In installing my err1n gine the vaporizer body it is interposed between the vaporizer me Vse 3 the flanges |1 and I9 and the unit is connected by nutted bolts 2| which extend through the iianges I1 and I9 and lie in notches 22 formed in the vaporizer body as illustrated in Figure 2.

The vaporizer body denes a chamber 23 within which is mounted a stationary sleeve 24 which is secured against rotation by a pin 25 extending through a squared projection 26 on the left hand side of the vaporizer body 20 as viewed in Figures 2 and 3. The sleeve 24 extends to the right through the vaporizer body and some distance outwardly therefrom. Within said stationary sleeve 24 is mounted a sleeve 21 which is rotatable relative to the stationary sleeve 24. The sleeve 21 is illustrated in Figure 6 The stationary sleeve 24 is provided with a plurality of apertures 28 in its upper side which are adapted to register with an elongated aperture 29 formed in the inner movable sleeve 21 when said sleeve is turned to the proper position. The outer stationary sleeve 24 is provided with lower outlet apertures 30, as shown in Figure 4, which are adapted to register with apertures 3| in the inner sleeve 21. The limit of movement of the sleeve 21 is determined by the length. of a slot 32 formed in said inner sleeve, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, the pin 25 being extended through said slot 32. The length of the slot 32 is such that the openings in the stationary outer sleeve and the rotary inner sleeve can be brought completely into and out of registration.

It should be noted in Figure 6 that the inner sleeve 21 is partially cut transversely at 33 and 34 so that the portion 35 of the sleeve 21 can expand slightly to closely fit the interior of the stationary sleeve 24, thereby making a tight seal between the two sleeves when the openings in said sleeves are out of registration.

The outer sleeve 24 carries a piston 36 shown in Figure 3, and, as shown, its right hand portion closely iits the interior of the sleeve 24 and its left hand portion is reduced in diameter so .that the latter portion can enter the sleeve 21. It

to the right and bears against a plug 4l lin the right hand end of the stationary outer sleeve 24. A member 4| extends through the plug 4l and into the outer sleeve 24 and has slidably mounted therein a piston element 42. A second and smaller coil spring 43 lies in the element 4| and bearsl against the piston- 42 yieldably urging it to the left. the extreme position thereof being shown in Figure 3.

Closely adjacent the point where the sleeve 24 enters the right hand side of the vaporizer body 20 is a. small bleeder opening 44, and somewhat outwardly fran said bleeder opening is a second and larger opening 45.

About the sleeve 24 and the openings 44 and is a casing 46 having an air inlet spout 41.

At the left hand end of the rotary inner sleeve 21 is a screened opening 48.

vA rod 43 extends inwardly into the casing and in the sleeve 21 from the piston 36 and the left hand end of said rod is provided with a head 50. When the negative pressure in the intake manifold is increased there will be an increased suction and iiow through the chamber 23 causing more fuel tobe drawn from the carburetor and also causing the piston 36 to be drawn to the right by reason of air entering the screened opening 43 and exerting pressure on the head 50 of the rod 49 which is connected to said piston 36. Thereupon the piston 36 will initially expose the small air inlet opening 44 in the sleeve 24 This action is continued until the piston 36 encounters the left hand end of the smaller piston 42.l Upon a further increase in intake suction the piston 36 will remain stationary until the suction is suicient to overcome the spring 39 and also the spring 43 which bears against the smaller piston 42. When the piston 36 has made contact with the smaller piston 42 the reduced portion 31 on said piston 36 will be in iiow communication with the air inlet opening 44 and upon a further increase in intake suction the piston 36 will move more to the right so that the smallest diameter 33 on the piston 36 will be brought into registry with the opening 44 thereby increasing the auxiliary air entering through the spout 41. As describedlln my prior Patent No. 2,373,867 the auxiliary air will pass out through the openings in the sleeves 21 and 24 with considerable speed and increase the diffusion and mixture of the i'uel vapor coming from the carburetor |2.

The left hand end of the inner sleeve 21 ex- -tends outwardly beyond the outer sleeve 24 and carries a lever 1| secured thereto by means of a clamping collar 12. The outer end of the lever 1| is connectedl to a link 13 which extends through a connecting member 14. That portion of the link 13 whichextends through said connecting member has a spring 15 thereon, said spring at its two ends bearing against the connecting mem- -ber 14 and acotter key 16. The connecting member 14 is mounted on a rod 11 which is connected between the carburetor buttery valve I6 and a bell crank 18. The latter is shown in Figure 1 to be pivotally mounted at 19 on the intake manifold and one arm of the bell crank 18 is connected to the usual throttle control lever 8l).v

Therefore, when the throttle lever is moved the rotary inner sleeve 21 will be moved in response to the throttle action to vary the registration of the air flow openings in the stationary sleever 24 and the inner movable sleeve 21.

In Figure 4 there is shown an auxiliary butterny 5| which is pivoted at lla. As shown, the

valve 5| does not extend across the upper en,-

trance of the chamber 23. It engages a stop or baille member 52 when said butterfly 5I is in itsl nearlyl horizontal or closed position. The baille 52 extends across the chamber 23. There is a space 55 between said baille 52 and the right hand side wall of the chamber 23 as viewed in Figure 4. Another baffle 56 has a vertical portion secured to the casing side wall as by a bolt 51 and the lower portion of the bale 5l is curved inwardly and slightly upwardly as at 53. A Ithird baille 59 lies across the central portion of the chamber 23 and slightly above the discharge edge 60 of the baille 53, 5I thus providing an air ilow passage 6|.

Secured to the outer side of the vaporizer body 23 by bolts 62 is a bracket 63 supporting a cylinder 54. As viewed in Figure 5 the cylinder 64 has its left hand end connected by a nipple 65 to a tube 46 which in turn communicates with the lower portion of the chamber 23. A piston 61 operates in the cylinder 64 and its piston rod 64 is connected by a pivoted link 69 to a lever 10 which is mounted upon the auxiliary butterfly pivot shaft 5|a.

When the engine is idling there is little intake pressure or suction and in view of the fact that there is allow velocity pressure ow exerted on the auxiliary butterfly Si the piston 81 in the cylinder 6I will be moved to the left as viewed in Figwardly to an open position thereby'permitting l more of the gaseous fuel to ilowthrough the vaporizer and the intake manifold II. The but- -tery 5l will open against the action of the piston 61 and the cylinder 64 inasmuch as there is less effective pressure area on the piston 61 than there is on the butterfly 5I,but when the velocity and flow pressure decrease with a lowering of engine speed the piston 61 will be drawn by the negative intake pressure to tend -to close the buttery 5 I Consequently, the action of the butterily 5I is a free swinging one but it is dependent v upon the actual intake manifold pressure and is arranged so that it will open only as the engine needs require.

When the butterfly 5I is closed there is still sufficient fuel provided for idling through the passageway 55 in the upper right hand part of the chamber 23 as shown in Figure 4.

As the fuel mixture enters the chamber 23 it is deflected to the right against the baffle 56, 58 which gives it a swirling motion across the chamber to the left and after it has been given this swirling motion it meets the auxiliary air entering through the sleeves 21 and 24; The velocity of flow is such that a'cyclonic action is set up that breaks down the droplets of liquid fuel with greater effectiveness and the highly vaporized flow then passes on to the intake manifold. The transverse curvature of the baule 59 in conjunction with the curvature of the baille portion 5l helps to increase the swirling or cyclonic action of the mixture.

It should be noted that the auxiliary air inlet sleeves 24 and 21, as shown in Figure 4, are offset slightly to the right of the center of the chamber 23, and this offsetting has been found to work with a great deal of emciency in combination with 6 the butterfly and baille arrangement abovedescribed to produce a highly efficient vaporization of the fuel.

It will,-of course, .be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, ar

rangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my inven-` tion.

What I claim is:

1. A fuel vaporizer for internal combustion engines adapted for use in the intake passage of the engine between the carburetor and intake manifold thereof comprising, a casing providing a chamber to be located between said carburetor and manifold and having an inlet and an outlet adapted for communication with said carburetor and manifold respectively, a butterfly valve in said chamber subject to the pressure fiow of,

fuel intake gases through said chamber, said butteriiy valve being of less extent when in a closed position tha n the cross sectional flow area of said chamber, thereby leaving a constantly open flow passage in said chamber, and a baille in said chamber between said butterfly valve and the outlet side of said chamber, said baille being directed beneath said butterfly valve from the opposite side of said chamber and extending only partially across said chamber.

' l2. The structure in claim 1, and an auxiliary baille in said chamber closely adjacent and above the discharge edge of said first mentioned baille.

ISAAC W. WEPPLO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,010,973 Wepplo Aug. 13, 1935 2,200,723 Reichhelm et al. May 14, 1940 2,228,733 Reichhelm et al. Jan. 14, 194i 2,318,824 Wepplo May 11, 1943 2,373,867 .Wepplo Apr. 17, 1945 2,396,279 Metsger Mar. 12, 1946 2,398,199 Townsend Apr. 9, 1946 

